National parks closest to Polk County, IA

After the hottest summer on record, it's a wonderful time to hit the great outdoors.

The United States is home to 63 national parks, from Yellowstone National Park to New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in West Virginia. The former, located in Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana, became the world's first national park in 1872 and includes 10,000 hydrothermal features; the latter is the newest national park and hosts the longest steel arch span in the Western Hemisphere. So, the country's park system encompasses something for everyone.

It's not surprising then that these scenic getaways have drawn millions of travelers every year. The National Park Service reported just shy of 312 million recreational visits last year, the most since 2019. Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina and Tennessee was by far the most popular national park, with 12.9 million visits. Grand Canyon (Arizona), Zion (Utah), Rocky Mountain (Colorado), and Acadia (Maine) rounded out the top five.

For park enthusiasts, more good news looks to be on the way. Congress is expected to add Georgia's Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park as the nation's 64th crown jewel before the end of the year. It'd be the first national park co-managed by a tribal group that was forcibly removed from its land and the first national park in Georgia. But others—including perhaps the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, Alaska's Tongass National Forest, and Chiricahua National Monument in Arizona—are vying for the honor.

Wondering where to go next that's not too far from home? Stacker compiled a list of the national parks closest to Polk County. Straight line distance from Polk County to each national park was used to determine the ranking. County coordinates from the Census Bureau and national park coordinates from NPS were used in the calculation.

When planning your next adventure, know your limits before you go, and check whether the park has regulations or requires permits or reservations. Create backup and emergency plans, and be aware of your surroundings when you arrive. NPS asks visitors to stay within designated areas, watch wildlife responsibly, and keep safety in mind. Animals should not be approached, harassed, touched, or fed, and children and pets must be supervised closely.

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#25. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)

- Distance: 932 miles
- Park area: 146,344.31 acres

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#24. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)

- Distance: 919 miles
- Park area: 86,367.10 acres

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3 / 25

#23. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 896 miles
- Park area: 337,597.83 acres

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#22. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)

- Distance: 895 miles
- Park area: 46,766.45 acres

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#21. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)

- Distance: 887 miles
- Park area: 26,476.47 acres

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6 / 25

#20. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)

- Distance: 882 miles
- Park area: 310,044.36 acres

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#19. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)

- Distance: 880 miles
- Park area: 2,219,790.71 acres

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#18. Arches National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 870 miles
- Park area: 76,678.98 acres

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#17. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 852 miles
- Park area: 52,485.17 acres

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#16. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)

- Distance: 829 miles
- Park area: 199,223.77 acres

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#15. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 779 miles
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres

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#14. New River Gorge National Park (West Virginia)

- Distance: 718 miles
- Park area: 7,021 acres

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#13. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 694 miles
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres

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#12. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina, Tennessee)

- Distance: 686 miles
- Park area: 522,426.88 acres

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#11. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 640 miles
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres

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#10. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)

- Distance: 623 miles
- Park area: 32,571.88 acres

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#9. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)

- Distance: 617 miles
- Park area: 70,446.89 acres

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#8. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 519 miles
- Park area: 33,970.84 acres

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#7. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)

- Distance: 504 miles
- Park area: 54,011.91 acres

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#6. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)

- Distance: 495 miles
- Park area: 571,790.30 acres

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#5. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)

- Distance: 495 miles
- Park area: 5,554.15 acres

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#4. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 474 miles
- Park area: 242,755.94 acres

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#3. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)

- Distance: 471 miles
- Park area: 218,222.35 acres

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#2. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)

- Distance: 335 miles
- Park area: 15,349.08 acres

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#1. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)

- Distance: 277 miles
- Park area: 192.83 acres

This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Mike Taylor, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 3,119 counties.

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